How best to approach an article like this? There’s so much to say, and giving you some structure might help with such a long read.
So, with that in mind, here’s my end-of-season review for 2024/25.
1. Pre-Season Expectations
Lincoln City headed into the 2024–25 season with quiet optimism and a growing weight of expectation. Having narrowly missed out on the play-offs the previous campaign, hopes among fans were split — some believed a top-six push was achievable, while others, more cautiously, expected a stable top-half finish. One pre-season prediction had the Imps in 11th place — a spot that ultimately proved to be on the money.
The budget, as ever, played a crucial role. Before the winter window, Lincoln were operating with the 19th biggest budget in League One, making the challenge all the more daunting. Despite that, the team briefly broke into the top six before Christmas, suggesting promotion ambitions weren’t entirely fanciful. Ultimately, though, that low budget would come to shape expectations — and results.
Several key players departed over the summer. Goalkeeper Lukas Jensen and full-back Lasse Sørensen were the headline exits, while Danny Mandroiu and Ted Bishop — two inconsistent but creative talents — also moved on. Replacing their output was always going to be tricky, and the club’s recruitment reflected that uphill task.
There were early injury setbacks, too. Tom Bayliss was ruled out for a large chunk of the early season, Jack Moylan picked up a knock, and JJ McKiernan got injured after his chance came against Morecambe. Add to that the challenge of shoehorning Reeco Hackett into an unnatural wing-back role and it became clear the squad became patchy and unbalanced in key areas.
From a tactical point of view, manager Michael Skubala — who saw his side end the previous season strongly — stuck with the 3-5-2 system, largely out of necessity. It suited the squad he inherited and reflected the team’s late-season surge. But there were signs even then that Skubala preferred a 4-2-3-1 setup. The pressure to stick with what had worked in the past may have delayed a tactical evolution that could have unlocked more from the group earlier.
The league itself was tougher, too. A few years ago, £4 million for Will Grigg would have raised eyebrows. Now, the fees of £1 million for Dion Charles, or £2 million for Joe Taylor, barely registered. People who say budgets don’t count are mistaken – it’s like you walking down the Waitrose aisle with a tenner while others had fifty. You would have to be smarter, sharper, and more resourceful than most. To say budget doesn’t count is dismissive and show a rank misunderstanding of the football landscape.
The challenge was clear: outperform the budget, again.
2. Season Summary
The Imps finished the season in 11th place with 61 points from 46 matches — a top-half position for the third successive year. It was a respectable return in the circumstances, especially when considering the club’s modest budget and injury setbacks. However, it was also the second-lowest League One points tally since promotion (excluding the curtailed 2019–20 season), raising questions about whether more could have been achieved.
Expectations shifted as the season progressed. The Imps hit Christmas in sixth place following a convincing 2-0 win over Reading. At that point, talk of a play-off push felt justified. But a six-game spell after that yielded just a single point and proved fatal to their promotion hopes. Had we even taken seven or eight points from that run, we might have stayed in the hunt.
Cup performances were mixed. The Carabao Cup run ended prematurely at the hands of Harrogate Town in a disappointing result. In the EFL Trophy, the team went deeper, losing 1-0 to Bolton after a mistake by stand-in goalkeeper Zac Jeacock. Despite the exit, there were positives — performances against Man City U21s from Oisin Gallagher and Zane Okoro, along with goals for Rob Street and JJ McKiernan, showed depth and promise.
The FA Cup saw the Imps reach the third round, which, for a League One side, constitutes a genuine cup run — even if it didn’t feel that way to all fans. A 4-0 win away at Chesham was professional and ensured no embarrassment, while a chaotic 4-3 victory over Crawley entertained those lucky enough to witness it. Unfortunately, a disappointing draw at Birmingham — played on a freezing morning and shown in the US only — ended the run without glamour.
High points? Plenty. A 4-1 thrashing of Mansfield, a 2-0 victory over Reading, a sensational 5-1 demolition of Peterborough, and a 5-0 rout of Bristol Rovers all stood out. But there were very few long, unbeaten runs — just standout games peppered through the season.
Low points? A tough post-Christmas run, one-goal defeats to Shrewsbury and Rotherham, a 3-0 hammering at Bolton, and frustrating results against Stevenage and Leyton Orient. A sequence of six games with just one win — a 3-0 success at Mansfield — typified a campaign where momentum never truly built.
That said, the late switch to a 4-2-3-1 formation gave the team more attacking impetus. It unlocked players like Jovon Makama and Reeco Hackett, and the team’s defensive solidity didn’t suffer either. There were still mistakes, but the shift suggested progress and potential.
3. Managerial Performance
Michael Skubala’s performance as manager divides opinion — not because he did badly, but because of when he made certain decisions.
He inherited a squad built for 3-5-2 and, following a strong run at the end of the previous campaign, was boxed in by early success. To switch systems too soon could have seemed reckless. However, when creativity stalled and injuries mounted, critics questioned the timing of the eventual switch to 4-2-3-1. Once the change came, results — and performances — improved. That raises fair questions about whether it could have come sooner.
Squad rotation was another point of contention. Skubala’s preference to tinker frustrated some. Players like James Collins were used carefully; others, like Lewis Montsma, struggled for rhythm. The strategy was partly injury management — Joe Taylor at Huddersfield is a cautionary tale — but that didn’t always appease fans. So-called predictable substitutions and rigid timings led to accusations of inflexibility.
Yet, in context, Skubala’s achievements look stronger. He finished as the seciond-best manager in the league based on budget-to-league-position performance — only Richie Wellens was better, with Gary Caldwell, and Alex Revell outperforming expectations as well. Maybe budget to position is not a headline metric, but it is a meaningful one.
Fan sentiment was mixed — especially on social media. There was vocal criticism from some corners, but a quieter majority, more measured in outlook, seemed to recognise some mitigating factors. Injuries, squad limitations, and budget constraints were real. Skubala navigated them with composure.
The James Collins signing in January was a turning point — a masterstroke that not only gave us more firepower, but also allowed the tactical switch that changed the shape of the season. Alongside the additions of Sam Clucas and Joe Gardner, it felt like a strong window. We’ll deal with Clucas in a bit.
Ultimately, while some fans felt Skubala should have done more, many recognise that he steered a limited squad to a stable top-half finish — outperforming clubs with bigger budgets and loftier ambitions. For a manager still learning and evolving, that’s not a bad place to be.